Chinatown In Vancouver: A Comparative Analysis

The Chinese residents in Canada, specifically residents of Chinatowns in cities across the country have morphed and evolved to ensure that complete loss of culture and assimilation does not take place. They have done this by forming associations and organizations to make their voices heard and to ensure that their cultural identity is formed by themselves. This paper will explore Dr. Lai’s five models of Canadian Chinatowns and compare and contrast it to Chinatown in Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Toronto. Through analysis this paper will explore whether Chinese cultural identity is preserved through the creation and preservation of Chinatowns or if Western culture and assimilation takes over. Chinatown is in a way a European creation, it belongs
The deep harbour and Canadian Pacific Railway Terminal located in Vancouver brought many Chinese immigrants to the city to settle. In 1896 the Chinese Benevolent Association build a office building as well as a Chinese Hospital, the association acted as a spokesman for the Chinese Community at the time. This shows that the residents of the community were interested in creating a strong group that could thrive on its own and that was involved in their own development. By 1911 the census revealed that 3559 Chinese people had settled in Vancouver, at this time Chinatown covered four city blocks. During the 1920s Vancouver's Chinatown was very self contained. There were two theatres, six schools, a hospital, library, and many administrative buildings (Lai, 2016). The Chinese community was thriving and had maintained their cultural identity in a Canadian and Western context. As Vancouver’s Chinatown expanded many residents and associations from Victoria were brought in. After the introduction of the 1923 Exclusion Act the number of chinese residents dropped significantly. The Chinese population dropped from 13,011 in 1931 to 7174 only ten years later. After the depression and the loss of over 5000 residents the community was deemed unclean and unsafe to live in. Rather than assist in fixing it up, like a city is meant to do, the residents were evicted from their homes so that new buildings could be built in their place. A
Lai. The fact that it was declared a historic district proves right away that it could be considered a Historical Reconstructed Chinatown, it is important in this sense that the community is kept up well, it is clean and the buildings are preserved to keep that traditional history intact. It could also be considered a Rehabilitated Chinatown because new developments were made and plans were and continue to be put in place to ensure it appeals to people throughout generations. Because of these multiple facets the Chinatown in Vancouver continues to thrive and the desire to keep in intact is